Singapore Pools to call or e-mail punters affected by glitches

Two software errors that hit online Toto Quick Pick option have since been rectified

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Punters affected by the software glitches that hit Singapore Pools' online Toto Quick Pick option will be contacted via e-mail or on their mobile numbers registered with the lottery operator.

In an update yesterday, Singapore Pools said it has started contacting affected customers and will continue doing so over the next few days.

The glitches affected only punters who placed their bets online via the Toto Quick Pick system. To create an online account, one has to provide details such as an e-mail address, mobile number, residential address and NRIC number.

On Wednesday, Singapore Pools revealed that its online Toto Quick Pick system was affected by two software glitches, one of which left the number 49 out of the set of random numbers generated in punters' bets for a period of more than a year.

The incident is currently being investigated by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) which regulates gambling here. The Straits Times understands the problem was the first of its kind in Singapore.

The glitches were found to have been introduced in October 2018, during a system update by a service vendor.

They affected about 3 per cent of Toto sales, said the lottery operator, adding that 7 per cent of its Toto sales are done through its online platforms.

Singapore Pools said it will refund all customers who had placed online Quick Pick bets in the 14 draws where the number 49 was drawn as a winning number. It will also present a goodwill token to this group of affected customers, but did not elaborate on what the token is.

The first glitch, in which the system omitted the number 49 when generating Quick Pick numbers, was discovered by Singapore Pools on Dec 18 last year and rectified three days later. MHA was alerted to the glitch on Jan 3.

The second glitch was uncovered on Dec 20 last year while efforts were under way to resolve the first glitch. The new glitch impacted the online Toto Quick Pick System Roll numbers generated by the Quick Pick option. This was reported to MHA on Jan 10 and resolved three days later.

Regarding the reporting timeline, MHA said Singapore Pools was required to adhere to the timelines imposed by the ministry, but did not elaborate on what they were. It declined further comment as investigations were ongoing.

Both glitches have been rectified, but some punters told The Straits Times they feel short-changed.

Operations director M. Magen, 52, who has placed bets in almost every Toto draw for nearly two decades, felt the glitches may have affected his chances of winning.

"I know it is already hard to win Toto, but knowing this makes me feel like I was not able to maximise my chances of winning," said Mr Magen, who placed his bets online during the period when the glitches occurred.

He said that as of yesterday evening, he has not been contacted by Singapore Pools.

Singapore Pools did not say in its statements if and how the glitches affected punters' chances of winning.

However, statistician Chua Tin Chiu from the National University of Singapore said none of the errors would have changed the affected punters' chances of winning. He explained that at the point the numbers were generated via the online Quick Pick system, the chance of winning the top Toto prize would still be about one in 14 million.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on January 17, 2020, with the headline Singapore Pools to call or e-mail punters affected by glitches. Subscribe